Building block



Jam. 3, 1950 P. PAOLELLA ETAL 2,493,547

BUILDING BLOCK Filed June 21, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 3, 1950 P. PAOLELLA EIAL BUILDING BLOCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jl me 21, 1945 Patented Jan. 3, 1950 2,493,541 BUILDING BLOCK Philip Paolella and Alfred Paolella, Hamden, Oonn., assignors to Plasticrete Corporation, Hamden, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application June 21, 1945, Serial No. 600,794

2 Claifns. (or. 72-41) This invention relates to building blocks and has particular reference to hollow blocks of cementitious material adapted for use in the side walls of buildings, partition walls, and various other places.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a block which is well balanced and can be easily handled and easily laid up in courses with mortar joints or groutings.

Another object is to provide a block of such structure as to give strong support to the blocks of superposed courses and of a structure such that cracking of the wall is reduced to a minimum.

Another object is to provide a building wall in which the jointed portions of a course are strongly supported by portions of the blocks of the next lower course in a manner to provide relatively high resistance to shearing and to lessen the chance of cracking.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a building block embodying our invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an end view of the block; Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is an elevation of a wall, partly in section;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary top plan view of the 1 structure of Fig. 6; I

Fig. 8 is a detail section on line 8-8 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of a block illustrating certain features hereinafter brought out in the description.

The block to which the invention relates is one of the hollow or cellular type, and is adapted to be molded of suitable material, for example, cementitious material. The cementitious material may, if desired, have clnders incorporated therein. The block is preferably rectangular,

the length being greater than the width and the width about the same'as the height. The block has two hollow spaces or cells running through it from top to bottom and has a planar face at one end and a channeled face at the other end. Separating the two main spaces or cells is a transverse web or septum having important functions as hereinafter pointed out. Adjacent the channeled end of the block is another transverse provided at the bottom so as to provide a top surface on which a suflicient quantity of mortar can readily be placed.

In Figs. 1 and 2, the planar end face of the block selected for illustration is indicated at IS, the two main spaces, chambers or cells at l6 and I1, and the upright transverse web or septum separating-the cells at It. The channeled right-hand end (Fig. 1) of the block is indicated enerally at l9, the channel itself being indicated at 20, and the upright transverse web or septum forming the back of the channel and forming a part of the wall of cell I1, being indicated at 2!.

The openings or cells I6 and I! are generally of rectangular shape, having curved comer portions, and in general they flare in a downward direction'as a result of the fact that their surrounding walls are tapered. The channel 20 is re-entrant in a block portion of full width and is preferably of the same width as the cells It and I1, and in line therewith. The right-hand end face of the block (Fig. 1) is indicated at 22, the same lying in one plane except for the web forming the back of the channel and forming also a portion of the wall of one of the abovementioned cells. The surfaces of the block at the top are substantially wider than the surfaces fact that in this particular case mortar-tying grooves are provided, these being small vertical grooves 23 extending through the height of the end face. The channel 20 is flaring or tapered similarly to the cells [6 and I1, being wider at the bottom than at the top. The cells serve as air spaces, and the channel provides a third air space. The flats on the end of the block at opposite sides of the channel which are indicated in the drawings at 22, are of substantial area.

The opening .or cell it, as far as its specific shape is concerned, includes in this example a shallow upper mouth portion I6 the inner surface of which is normal to the upper surface of the block (Fig. 2). Immediately below this mouth portion is a tapered shoulder portion l6, flaring toward the bottom of the block. The shoulder portion l6 is relatively narrow, and immediately below it is the main chamber portion or cell portion l6 having defining surfaces which diverge uniformly toward the bottom of the block. The opening or cell I1 is similarly formed, having corresponding surfaces ll, l'l and l'|. Also the channel 20 has corresponding defining surfaces 20 20 and 20. It is, however, to be noted that in the particular form shown the portions 2|) and 20 are absent from that transverse surface of the block which defines the bottom of the channel 20. That particular surface is indicated in the drawings at 20 and it is substantially flat or planar and has a very slight but uniform slant from the bottom of the block to the top, as appears from Fig. 2. As a result of the structure above described, the transverse walls of the block have the cross-sectional form shown in Fig. 2. and the longitudinal walls have a cross section such as shown in Fig. 3.

It should be observed at this point that the opening or cell I1 is of appreciably less length than the cell It, and it is also to be noted that a the transverse wall I8 is located midway between the ends of the block so as to be centrally located with respect to the length of the block. Moreover, for the purpose of balancing the block. the

weight of its wall structure has been so dis-- This is shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, and

by the sections of Figs. 5 and 8. The transverse wall is provided at each side with a fillet 24, and i this fillet, as will be noted, for example, at the l lower part of Fig. 5, Joins a tapering surface 25 defining a tapering longitudinal wall portion 26 which is of greater thickness than the major portion 21 of the longitudinal wall portion defining the adjacent cell or opening. The surface 25 is a.

gradually tapering surface which does not meet the wall portion until the point 28 is reached (Fig. 5). The view just referred to shows the condition'along the section line 5-5 of Fig. 2,

and Fig. 8 shows it in a region where the transverse wall is substantially thicker. The construction described provides on opposite sides of the.

transverse wall or septum a localized thickening or reinforcement of the longitudinal wall or face 1 shell of the block in the lower part of the block throughout a considerable portionof the height of the block.

In the building of walls in which the new block is used, the blocks are usually laid in courses, as

shown in Fig. 6, the blocks of one course being staggered with respect to those in an adjacent course. A filling of mortar or cement is used, and in Fig. 6 it is assumed that the filling, which is indicated generally at 29, is a mortar filling. The

4 wells of the blocks, it will be seen how effectively the middle portion of an underlying block supports the Joint portion of the course next above, I

presenting a relatively large amount of material to resist shearing strains. It will also be evident that in the connecting zone between the middle septumand the longitudinal wall of the'block the weakest point is not adjacent the side face of the septum but is far removed therefrom, being at or beyond the point'(28) where the taper 25 ends. As far as the point 28 is concerned, this is so far away from the weight-bearing middle portion that it cannot be a point or location of weakness in the wall structure. In a wall of this general character the region where a block will break or crack is usually midway of the length. This is prevented or overcome to a large degree by the present invention, where the middle part of the block is suii'iciently strong to prevent this. If, under a sufficiently high load, one of the blocks cracks, the crack wglll probably form in some other place than at the middle. Moreover, if such a crack is created there will be great resistance offered to its continuing directly into the adjacent upper or lower course, and hence if cracks occur under heavy strains they will tend to be localized and of relatively slight extent.

It will be apparent that the upper portions of the three transverse walls of the block serve effectively as hand holds whereby the block can be grasped and held or lifted. The same applies to the longitudinal walls adjacent the upper part of the block, in connection with which parts other portions of surfaces It", I6, I1 I'l are associated. It will be seen that the septum 2| is generally similar to the septum l8 and separates the end channel from the smaller or shorter opening H. the channel, so far as its general shape is concerned, being somewhat similar to that part of opening I! which is at the opposite side of the septum 2|.

It will be evident from the foregoing description that the block of the present invention is well balanced and can be easily handled. The block is of a form which lends itself well to grasping, lifting, and handling. Mortar can be easily applied, as will be apparent from the foregoing description. The blocks enable a very strong wall upper surface of the block affords ample surface upon which mortar can be placed and spread. and

I the block which is in the course next above has sufliz'ient surfaces making contact with and resting upon the mortar layer. At the end joints, an end of a block which is solid and flat, faces toward a channeled block end, with mortar inwall structure.

course. Fig. 9 shows by dotted lines the positions of upper blocks with respect to a lower block to be made with the use of a minimum amount of material. The great strength of the wall and the higher resistance to fissures and cracking have already been referred vto. Combined with the strength of the block is its light weight, the latter being a factor of great moment from the standpoint of the mason, and for other reasons.

7 When made of a cinder composition, for example,

the block can be readily lifted by one hand. which is not true of the usual three-core block of the same size and composition. The cores or cells are of large size for purposes of weight reduction, and yet the strength of the block is ample owing to the concentration of material at the critical points, especially in the region adjacentthe shown in full lines, and it will be noted that the full flat end of the upper block is resting squarely which is channeled is supported by the middle septum of a lower block.

When it is appreciated how the horizontal cross-sectional area of the block is increased structure is increased.

Another advantage of the improved block arises from the fact that in most cases no special blocks need be provided for the purpose of formwhere the middle septums Join the longitudinal 76 ing corners.

Providing a block which is planar at one end and channeled at the opposite end has the distinct advantage that the vertical mortar joints do not run continuously across the course, and thus the likelihood of leakage through the wall is decreased.

The structure described particularly herein is by way of example only, and it will be understood that many modifications and changes may be made without departing from the principles of the invention or the scope of the claims.

What we claim is: I

l. A rectangular building block having two airspace cells of which one is substantially longer than the other and an upright transverse septum at the middle of the block separating said cells, the end of the block adjacent the longer cell being planar, and the opposite end having surfaces adjacent the sides of the block to serve as mortar-'- holding surfaces but being provided between said mortar-holding surfaces with a re-entrant vertically extending channel of substantial depth and width whereby a third air space of substantial capacity is provided when the block end is laid against the planar end 0! an adjacent block, said channel being separated from the shorter cell by a transverse septum similar to said first septum, the surfaces defining said cells having curves or fillets where the side walls of the block join said middle septum and having tapers continuing from said curves or fillets through a substantial part of the cell length, each of said tapers being at a slight angle to the longitudinal axis of the block so as to provide in this region a gradual reduction in the side wall thickness.

2. A rectangular building block having two cells of unequal length extending from top to bottom and an upright transverse septum at the middle of the block separating said cells, there being a second upright transverse septum separating the shorter cell from an upright air-space channel at one end of the block, the other end being a full end, the side wall portions of said cells decreasing in thickness along gradual tapers at the inner parts extending from the middle septum through a substantial part of the cell length so as to provide in this region a gradual reduction in the side-wall thickness and inhibit the cracking-through of the block in a generally vertical direction adjacent the middle septum.

PHILIP PAOLELLA. ALFRED PAOIELLA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file oi this patent:

UNITED STATES PA'I'E'NTS 

